The New Era
by CaramelFluffy
Summary: A new era of demigods will take the stage. Rated for gore, bloodshed, and the like. MAY have minor romances, but it's up to the reviews I get. OCs are based off some IRL people I know. My first fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

Corliss's POV

Why is it that one mistake can ruin your whole day?

I swear everything was completely fine before it happened.

The day started out normal enough. The sun was shining so bright I couldn't keep my eyes open wide enough to stare out my window in the morning. It felt so peaceful and pleasant. A shout of a few kids in the neighborhood was enough to convince me to get off my bed and start wrecking a few unsuspecting victi- I mean citizens.

Yup, perfectly normal for the first day of summer.

Well, I guess I'd better introduce myself. I'm Corliss Alger. I live with my mom who can't seem to stop worrying about me. Until today, I honestly never understood why. A few kids my age can't seem to contain themselves when they're asked to enter some dark alleyway. My mom would never let me take a step in it, and I always thought she was just paranoid and overprotective.

But if she was worrying about some psycho freak I accidentally ran into, that's another mistake I should take note of.

I was going to meet up with my best friend, Riley Fay. She was incredibly excited to join me to go to the bookstore. Riley and I both enjoy reading books and I couldn't resist inviting her when my mom gave me pocket money.

Riley is like the perfect girl. I'm always overshadowed by her, and I personally don't care. She cares a lot about looks and grades, and likes helping out. She's really sassy and confident. Everyday I see her black hair tied in some new hairdo she wanted to try out. Her eyes, well, they kind of look different. Looking into them gives me some kind of aura. Her skin is a nice pale tan, and her outfits are original. She's basically the opposite of me, but we love each other anyway.

Anyway, I got up and dressed myself in something comfortable yet decent. I just pulled on a plain white tank top with a light blue zipped up jacket, and some black jogging pants. And, of course, no matter how ADHD I am, I never forgot my necklace, which had a silver key on it. There was a topaz, my birthstone, shining on its handle, but it was quite small, only forming a little lump when you ran you finger across it, and also coming out of the handle were a three pair of metal wings, one pair bigger the other pairs smaller. There was a small dark chain snaking down the key. It was the only memento of my absent father, who my mom absolutely refuses to talk about.

I rushed down the staircase of my house and my mother was preparing breakfast. Her smile was bright and she was humming a tune. She turned towards me. "Good morning, Corliss."

"Hey, mom," I replied casually, a smile on my face.

She gave me a plate with some pancakes. The smell was enough to make me hungry. I quickly wolfed down the food.

"Now, Corliss. You should really learn to eat slower," she chided.

My mom was always caring for me. Her face was gentle, her skin was pale but beautiful. As a woman who had Far Eastern heritage, her dark brown hair had grayed slightly to the color of milk chocolate. Her brown eyes were weary but glad. To others, she may not look or seem perfect, but I loved my mom. She came from a family of successful merchants, so we had enough money, but we didn't go spending it too often, which is why I treasure moments like these.

After hastily brushing my teeth, I grabbed a small backpack, kissed my mom goodbye, and rushed out the door. "Be careful!" I heard my mom call as I left. I laughed, because she knew most of what I did was the exact opposite of careful. I loved to prank and troll. It's just a thing.

I raced down the sidewalk, my hair racing behind me. Even though I knew I was going really fast, my mind seemed to be able to process most of what was happening around me. I could dodge trees and posts, high five a few neighbors and manage to prevent tripping without slowing down. However, I wasn't actually in the running team in our school. No matter how many times I'd be persuaded, I wouldn't leave my freedom for practice I could do myself. More than anything, I valued freedom.

My neighborhood school was a little far from my house, but I never minded running there. I never walked to school with Riley because she was never a fan of running. She always said I'd leave her in the dust, and that was bad for her skin. To which I'd reply how that made absolutely no sense since you couldn't possibly leave someone in the dust LITERALLY.

The wind in my face kept me awake. I came to a slowing stop when I neared the school, and I barely noticed the surprisingly little amount of sweat. Maybe it was my ADHD, or maybe it was because I was so used to it already.

When I came to a complete stop, I sat and relaxed in a bench under a tree. This was our usual meeting spot when we went on little outings. The school wasn't far from the gate leading to a street of shops, where Riley and I would normally look for things we could spend our pocket money on.

During the summer, the school was always empty. The principal would come from time to time, along with a few mischievous kids, including yours truly. I remember an epic prank I pulled during the Christmas break. I interchanged all the students' names to different years and classes, and I delayed classes for about a week. And the best part of the prank was, until today, no one in the school, not even Riley, knew it was me.

I never did these to get attention or any of that crazy stuff. I did it because I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't bound to anything. School rules, my mom, or anything. At least, this was a thing I attempted to convince myself. Maybe, inside, I was a sadistic person who likes watching people's confusion. Don't know, don't care.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes or even seconds, Riley arrived. She was dressed in her description of "casual." She was wearing an ombré teal t-shirt that was tucked in but hanging loosely from a pair of black skinny jeans. Her hair was tied in a waterfall braid. She was wearing some pink Converse. She was even wearing a bunch of bracelets and a small black shoulder bag dangled loosely. And the miracle was how she managed to pull it off.

Instead of being impressed, I just sighed like I normally did, saying, "Alright, Riley, how long did it take for you to do this one?"

Riley smiled. "That's all you got for this one? I spent like, an hour picking out this outfit. I was planning another one, see, and then I decided it would make too much of a statement."

I didn't even bother trying to reply, since she most likely would have made some sort of sassy comeback. I don't like being the type that starts arguments.

I got up and stretched. "Alright, whatever, let's go. I hope that bag will hold everything you'll buy. I'm not giving you space in my backpack again."

Riley just remained silent as we walked out the gate, though I could almost FEEL her smile.

—

The bookstore was big.

I can't seem to find another word that would fit it the most.

It was a two-floor store with shelves upon shelves in both floors. The place was rustic-looking, like a cabin made from dark wood. In the far back there was a small open area with chairs, where a bunch of people were sitting down and reading.

Upon entrance, to the right would be the counter, where an old man most people call the Bookman waited silently on a chair, and he looked like he was sleeping. Next to him was his son, Glare. And boy, did he glare. Probably because he was acting like a human security camera. But once you got to know him, the 19-year-old was actually a nice guy. Glare wasn't his real name either, but both him and his dad seemed to prefer being called by there nicknames.

However, the girl next to Glare was the person I didn't recognize. Her hair was red, but wasn't exactly auburn. It looked more like flames. Her skin was pale, and piercing emerald eyes seemed to be focused on something else. She had a delicate look, but her eyes could show me she was fierce. She was sitting on the counter, wearing a wavy green dress and red heels. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt something was wrong with her. I could tell Riley felt the same way. Her look of uneasiness could've matched mine.

Riley walked over slowly, feet lightly touching the wood floor, eyes focused slightly on the girl. I had no choice but to follow.

However, instead of questioning the new girl's presence, she smiled brightly. "Hey, guys, we're here again," she said.

Glare looked at her, his usual glare calming, and he grinned at the two of us. "Hey, you two. I was beginning to wonder when you two would show up again."

I laughed. "Well, I finally got some money from my mom, so I decided that we could spend it on some books we could read."

Glare scratched the back of his neck. "Well, we appreciate it."

The Bookman looked at us, his wrinkled face brightening upon recognizing us. "If it isn't our favorite customers."

Glare sighed. "Dad, you say that to all of them."

The Bookman only smiled. "Well, because they're all my favorites."

Glare just shrugged it off. "Anyway, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Myca. She's, um, well..." He just looked at her. Her eyes were still focused on something in the shelves. Maybe a book or person.

Upon realizing her name had been called, she turned back to us. Her smile was bright. "Hello, nice to meet you!" She said, but I noticed she seemed to still be looking at something else, though she probably didn't want anyone to notice.

I looked at Riley and saw that similar face of uneasiness. I knew something was a bit wrong.

However, seemingly at the same time, Riley and I disregarded it.

Riley just replied, "Alright, we'll go looking for books now."

Glare flashed us a thumbs up. Then he regained his glare, eyes now focused on random people.

The second we were out of view from other people, Riley whispered to me, "That girl disturbs me. I don't know why."

I whisper back, "She was staring at something, I wonder what?"

At that instant, we picked up our pace until we were just next to the aisle where she was looking in. Riley grabbed my wrist, because I was checking out a series that had just released a new book.

Well, we're in a bookstore, we came to look for books. If you expect me to walk in with a bunch of cash, and walk out with the same amount, you'd be wrong.

Then again, I'm perfectly fine with stealing. Just, well, not from the bookstore, because when a bunch of people treat it like a library, it seems too bland to steal from it.

We both entered the corridor and saw a figure about as tall as Riley. There was a hoodie, but I could tell it was a girl, she was reading a book while standing up, muttering slightly. Her clothes were quite tattered, the hoodie was incredibly dirty, her denim jeans ripped slightly at the bottoms, her Crocs which looked like they were light green had grayed to a celadon-ish color.

She turned to look at us, and the fact she looked so familiar was what shocked me. Her dark black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her eyes a strong green, though not as dark as Myca's.

Riley was shocked with recognition. "Tabitha?" She asked.

That's when I recognized her. Tabitha Spindler was an older classmate of ours, and she was incredibly introverted. However, she made almost every love triangle in our school, practically like some overenthusiastic fan. She was quite odd, meaning she would fit in perfectly with me. I didn't know her dad's name, but she was just like Riley, who lacked a mom, and me, who lacked a dad. She would have fit in perfectly with us if it weren't for the fact she disappeared completely during our break times. She was a third generation Arabian immigrant, I think. Apparently, though, she'd taken to her mother's religion, because she wasn't Islamic.

What was she doing in a bookstore, though? As far as I knew, Tabitha was actually dyslexic, so I didn't expect her to be a fan of reading.

Tabitha stared at us, her eyes darting from one place to another. "Bathroom," she whispered. She darted past us, book still in hand.

My eyes looked at Myca, who was staring at us, her sweet smile, for a split second, becoming a glare harder than, well, Glare's. However, it sugar coated itself the moment she realized I was looking.

At this point, I honestly didn't care. I just grabbed Riley by the shoulder and walked with her to the bathroom.

—

"Why are you here?" Tabitha asked, the moment we walked in the bathroom.

"Shopping, duh," Riley said confidently.

"Well you shouldn't be here. I'm going to do something real dangerous," Tabitha said. Her hand darted beneath her hoodie to her white shirt, which was also quite dirty.

"Define dangerous," I said. My eyes were following Tabitha's hand.

"Life-threatening."

"Sure," Riley said, the look on her face clearly unconvinced.

Tabitha sighed, frustrated. "Just, leave."

Tabitha had an indescribable expression. She seemed alert, fearless, and worried, somehow.

I was suspicious of what she was doing. If her clothes were so messy, then I figured it's not an easy job. There were some bags under her eyes, like she'd been deprived of sleep.

My eyes narrowed, focusing on Tabitha. "So, what EXACTLY are you doing?"

Tabitha eyes became distant as she looked other things except for me and Riley. "Well, I've been looking for someone..."

Riley pursed her lips. "Who?"

"Not important. He's just been gone... and I was hoping to locate him."

I looked at Riley and saw a mischievous smirk on her face. "Him?"

Tabitha looked confused for a moment, then sighed, saying, "No, he's not my boyfriend, or my crush, or anything like that. He's basically... um... my brother."

When Riley showed an obvious sign of disappointment, I cut in for her. "Tabitha, I thought you were an only child. You couldn't have a brother. Unless he's newborn and stuff..."

Tabitha let out a laugh. It sounded clear, yet had some bitterness. "No, he's not newborn. I haveven seen my mom before. He's actually older than me."

"Runaway?"

"No! Okay, you guys are prying for too much information, I think—"

She may had said more, but I couldn't hear it over the explosion outside.

**Alright guys, this is my first fanfic. Ships, feedback and the like will be accepted. Anyone who can guess who Tabitha is looking for? Thanks, till next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Tabitha's POV

That freak needs to get it.

I swear in Zeus' name that if that monster kills me I will plead my mom to stop hanging out with her. Though that might not be possible unless I go to Elysium, and even then I'm not sure if it works like that.

At the start, looking for my brother had been monster-free. After that, this one showed up, and though so far, I've been able to escape with a little stealth and magic, with Corliss and Riley here, it looks like I have to fight her.

Partially, it was kind of my fault, I probably should've killed her before these two got involved. But how was I supposed to know?

When I opened the bathroom door, the store was a mess. Books were scattered on the floor. Shelves had fallen down, and there were a few flakes of ash on top of everything. Everyone was knocked out, with there unconscious bodies littered with the books. My eyes skimmed across all of them. Thankfully, none of them looked dead, or even injured.

In the middle of all of it, the girl who'd been looking at me stood. She stared straight into me with a harsh smile. "Disgraced child. Prepare to die."

Corliss put her hand up. "Wait. Myca?"

Her laugh echoed across the room, sending a shiver down my spine. "That's a stage name, kid. Call me Mormo. Leave. This one's the only one who needs to die," she said, finger pointed at me. I secretly hoped they would leave, because I could escape without having to worry about them.

However, Riley and Corliss stood their ground.

Mormo smiled, her teeth sharpening. "Very well. More half-bloods to eat!"

Mormo changed. Her red hair rose, and became actual flames. Her eyes became reptilian, pupils turning into vertical slits. Her hands sharpened into claws like a cat's. Corliss and Riley looked confused. I couldn't blame them. Mormo called them half-bloods, so I'm pretty sure they're demigods.

Mormo actually looked terrifying. I was hoping that she would transform back into human form so I could be less intimidated. No luck.

Mormo charged. She moved so quickly, I knew I couldn't say an incantation quick enough. I drew my dagger and slashed. She quickly retreated. Riley and Corliss backed up until I couldn't see them anymore. She held a hand over where I had hit her. Lucky for her, she managed to react quickly, or else it would have been a very deep cut.

Her eyes were fierce. "Lady Hecate doesn't need you or that foolish boy to ruin her name! So do the gods a favor and die!"

I felt genuine fear when she leaped up, opened her mouth, and blew out a thin stream of flames as if they were extensions of her hair. I grabbed a large water jug and splashed some of its contents outward to protect myself. Steam formed between us. I couldn't see her, and I hoped she couldn't see me, either, or I'd be at a disadvantage.

When the steam cleared, Mormo was at the ground, ash all around her feet. I was guessing that was about 4 or 5 books worth of ash. Her muscles were tense, a serpentine tongue sticking out as she hissed. I quickly gripped my knife and charged.

"Stop!"

I instinctively froze, the grip on my dagger loosening. Mormo relaxed, then we both turned to Riley. "I know your game, girl. This is a matter between me and this... disgrace," Mormo spat, fangs bared.

Riley looked surprised. I don't think she actually expected us to stop and turn at her. She opened her mouth, only to close it again.

Corliss looked a bit more confused. "What did Tabitha ever do?"

"She will ruin my lady's name if I allow her to continue her search!" She screamed. Her hair burned brighter.

Corliss whistled. "I think you should've been named Moomoo instead. Or Gogo. Mormo sounds funny, you know."

Mormo tensed again. She charged at the same speed as awhile ago. This time, I couldn't shield myself quickly enough. She pinned me down, one of her claws at my mouth. My dagger was off to the side. I tried to scream, but it came out muffled.

I looked at Corliss. Her hood was on, her hands buried in a pile of books. Riley kept her eyes focused on Mormo, her muscles clearly tense.

Mormo bared her fangs again. "Maybe after I kill her, I'd eat another one of you for dessert, and sacrifice another to Lady Hecate... either way, all three of you will die!"

Riley smiled. "We all die eventually."

She hissed. However, just before she could say anything, she was blown backward with the force of a book hitting her face. Followed by five or six more.

Corliss was running forward, saying, "Eat some encyclopedia, fool!"

While Mormo was dazed, Corliss grabbed my Celestial Bronze dagger and tossed it towards me. I grabbed it and threw it towards Mormo, stabbing her left shoulder. She screamed, her flaming hair erupting higher. Her shoulder was disintegrating. However, I had no desire to kill her. So I just closed my eyes and prayed to my mother to take her away.

My mom wasn't the kind of goddess to answer prayers as quickly as a few other gods. However, Mormo immediately disappeared in a flash of light, and my dagger fell to the floor, still steaming slightly.

Riley just leaned back, Corliss sat down, and I picked up my dagger. Mormo wasn't exactly a threat until you allowed her to attack you long enough. She was just like a cat. She can't help playing with her food.

I turned to the two of them. "I'm bringing you guys somewhere. Don't question anything until I say you can."

"Can I at least tell my mom? She seems to be... paranoid every time I'm gone too long," Corliss said. Her fingers drummed against an open book, which was on the ground.

"Alright. I'll clean this place up with some magic. Meet you guys outside here. Move fast," I said. It didn't seem right to leave them without a weapon, so I just gave them my dagger for a bit.

Once they were gone, I muttered an incantation. The shelves propped themselves upright, the books arranged themselves. The ash swept away. There was nothing I could do for the people, because Mormo's magic was much stronger than mine, and they were put to sleep magically. When they wake up, they probably won't remember a thing. The spell I recited already made me want to collapse. The store was big, and thus required big-time magic.

With the last of my drachma, I managed to find a puddle and Iris-message Camp Half-Blood. They were sending a couple of demigods over to bring us over.

I sat down outside the store, and got a square of ambrosia from my pocket and nibbled a bit. It tasted sweet, but I stopped myself before I could eat more, I couldn't risk bursting into flames.

Inside the store, a few people sat up sleepily, shaking their heads and rubbing their eyes. The two men at the counter were already awake, acting like nothing had happened. Looks like Mormo (or Mom) also manipulated the Mist, because though they were sleepy, they didn't look confused at all.

Corliss and Riley arrived about ten minutes later. Corliss was wearing the same thing, except her hair was tied in a ponytail that settled on her shoulder. Riley changed clothes completely. Her hair was tied in a fishtail braid, and she was wearing a yellow t-shirt with a silver heart on the center. She also wore light denim shorts. The only thing the same were the shoes. "Sorry, Tabitha, we, um..." Riley started.

"She took long. She does that," Corliss cut in. "I waited for, like, seven or eight minutes."

"Hey, I have to make an impression," Riley fired back. "I can't help it. If I'm going to arrive late, then I'll make it FASHIONABLY late."

I stood up. The pain from the incantation disappeared completely, thanks to the ambrosia and some rest. "It's fine. My friends should be arriving soon. I'll explain on the way."

We didn't have to wait long. A team of two approached from the sky. They were mounted on one pegasus each, and three pegasi followed behind them.

—

"I call dibs on the one that's cute!" Riley said excitedly.

Corliss laughed. "They're all cute."

I couldn't disagree with their enthusiasm. Making friends with pegasi is one of the best things we could do as demigods. They're so much fun to ride, and they're loyal.

The approaching figures on the front two pegasi were undeniably Cleo, daughter of Athena, and her sister Kailyn. They looked serious, and I had a feeling it wasn't because of Corliss and Riley.

"You're crazy, Tabitha! You know even if you found that guy, he wouldn't come back to camp!" Kailyn said.

Her hair had grown longer from last time we saw each other. It was now waist-length. Her eyes were an intense gray. Kailyn was that sassy fangirls you could see inside bookstores like that one I just repaired.

"Still... Kailyn, I think we should say that it's incredibly rare for two demigods to have met before knowing about camp," Cleo said.

Cleo was quite petite. Her dark brown hair was wavy and long. She shared her sister's gray eyes, except they were tinted slightly with blue. At first she acts shy, but don't get fooled. She's an awesome fighter and a bit of a tomboy. I never underestimated children of Athena, and Kailyn and Cleo aren't exceptions.

"I think we deserve an explanation about everything that just happened," Corliss said, surprising calm.

"How are you taking this so well?" I asked. "This is some dangerous stuff. And these are pegasi, which you so in real life for the first time, ever!"

"Maybe we wouldn't take it as calmly if we actually understood what's happened!" Riley said, arms crossed.

Cleo sighed. "You didn't tell them yet? Then we'll make it quick."

"So you see, you guys are demigods. Half-human, half-Greek god. So are we. We're basically monster magnets thanks to our divine parents. Most of us have a fighting instinct mistaken as ADHD, and a mind hardwired for Ancient Greek language thought as dyslexia, sometimes both," Kailyn began, barely skipping a beat.

"Mormo can be counted a monster, but she's one of the ones who serve a certain god or goddess," I added quickly.

"And just so you know, Tabitha's mom is Hecate, goddess of magic. Kailyn and I are daughters of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and war, and crafts..." Cleo said.

"Anyway, we go to two places, depending on whether are parents are in their Greek or Roman form, though until recently, we were separate camps, warring, now we're united. The Greek is Camp Half-Blood, which is where you two will be going first, the Roman is Camp Jupiter," Kailyn continued. She didn't seem bothered about anybody interrupting.

I turned to Corliss and Riley. Riley had her eyebrows knit together, confused. Corliss seemed to be taking it a bit easier, I'm assuming because she finally understood.

My impressions of them both changed. Riley was usually a clean freak, sassy, always standing her ground, but know, I could see she's loyal, and confident. She seems like she doesn't care about anything else other than the present. Corliss seemed more free, incredibly cheerful. She always added some spice to the classes, by breaking the tension, to the point even the teachers smile. She was the kind who couldn't help but smile at everything. Looking at her now, I saw a serious side I never thought existed.

To my surprise, Riley was the first to talk. "So... Tabitha, what were you doing away from camp?"

I stiffened when everyone looked at me. I should've expected this question. "Well, you see... Recently, we finished the fight against the Roman camp, and the primordial goddess Gaea, and... Before that, we actually had a fight against Kronos, her son. And many children of Hecate, my half-siblings... They sided with Kronos." I paused and took a deep breath. "So many children of Hecate died. Hecate lost so many children that war. The one that lead the children of Hecate to the side of Kronos was my brother, Alabaster. He was guilty at losing his brothers and sisters and disappeared. He never returned to camp. And I actually didn't think he would. But I was crazy enough to try, and..."

"You snuck out of camp, went searching, got confronted by Mormo who didn't want him to lead Hecate's children to their deaths again, and decided to kill you since you didn't seem to give up?" Corliss said.

"Yeah. So far, you know, I've managed to escape, but Mormo created so much damage putting an end to her was best. And besides, I couldn't worry about you guys while escaping," I said. A huge weight flew off my chest. I sighed slightly. The truth was out, there's nothing I can do now. I honestly didn't feel as bad as I thought I would.

"Brave," Kailyn praised. "But still, let's go. We've lost about ten minutes telling stories. Chiron will be cross."

"Probably not," Cleo replied. "Chiron doesn't get mad that quickly. But we'll have to hurry. You know, just in case he does get mad. Because that would mean he would be mad at me in particular, and that's not nice."

I mounted a pegasus the color of chocolate. His mane shook, and panted slightly. At his forehead area was a line of white. I looked at Riley and Corliss. Riley had ridden a pegasus that was black and had markings that made it vaguely resemble a cow. Corliss rode a chestnut pegasus with similar-colored mane at its back. Corliss looked like she was managing, but Riley didn't look like she rode a horse before.

"Um..." She started, but the pegasi were already taking off. She yelped and grabbed on tight. To her left, Corliss managed to keep herself atop the pegasus without much worry. I managed to hold on, but I wasn't exactly excellent in riding. Cleo and Kailyn were doing fine. Their pegasi were up front, while ours were in the back. The wind in my face blew away a few flakes of ash on my clothing, but of course it couldn't magically clean my clothes. The rips seemed more visible than ever, in fact.

Corliss looked like she was having fun, while Riley seemed to steady herself. Her pegasus seemed to tolerate her difficulties. I looked down at the city. The place itself seemed to be peaceful, but I knew it was some trick of the Mist or something. I couldn't tell how many monsters there were in the city, but I knew it was a lot. The cars beeped across traffic, and off in the distance I spotted a crew of people handling a car accident.

I tried to imagine camp again. I was supposed to be there a few days back, and take a leave for the last few days of school, after exams finished. Then my dad would send me to camp, and give me my grades when I came back. By that time I didn't care about my grades, and would just be happy that I had a monster-free summer. I was only there for one summer, which was last year, but I've always felt great about the thought of it throughout the schoolyear. When I found out about Alabaster, I felt sorry for him, even when I never knew him. I figured his past would've made him a better brother to me than any of the other brothers I had. Of course, now, when I look back, I may have been delusional. I don't know what was in my head.

I remembered the place like it was the back of my hand. The Wall Climbing place. The surrounding woods. Peleus and the Fleece, near Thalia's Pine. The Big House. The cabins. The stables. The lake. The memories flooded into my head.

After passing a large group of fluffy white clouds, I saw it. Long Island. The camp rested past a hill. The pegasi flew a bit slower. They descended slowly. I figured they were planning to land in front of the Big House.

I personally wondered if anyone other than Kailyn would chew me out. I hoped not. It's not enjoyable getting scolded. Most of the time I don't feel bad, it's just because I know I could be doing something else more worthwhile. It's weird to give someone a speech when it comes out the other ear anyway.

The pegasi were now so close, a large group of campers pointed and crowded around.

NOW where will we land? I thought. Think about that...

However, when we got closer and closer, they ran away, leaving a large enough space for all five pegasi to land.

When we landed, a bunch of campers took the pegasi back to the stables. Riley looked dizzy, and two campers had to catch her and hold her steady. I don't think she was used to heights. Corliss looked fine, but she was sitting on the ground. The crowd was getting bigger now, and Chiron appeared.

Thankfully, the centaur didn't look angry. I just crossed my fingers and hoped everyone would keep their mouths shut.

"Two new demigods?" Chiron said, eyes fixed on Riley and Corliss. "Rare. I'm surprised you only ran into your first monster."

"A centaur," Corliss awed, leaning back towards the grass to look up at Chiron's face.

"You seem to know about myths. I'm Chiron," he replied. "Someone tour them, and watch if they get claimed. Kailyn, Tabitha, Cleo, you three rest a bit."

I didn't object to anything he said. I trailed off to Cabin 20 and vowed that the moment I got there I would hit the bunk. Even when my clothes were in tatters, I wouldn't even try to change until I woke up. I didn't even care about what dreams I'd get.

**Hiiii guys! So, I went to a place without Internet, so I wasn't able to read the reviews, and I continued writing. This first demigod boy is planned to debut in the next chapter. Reading the reviews now, the reason I made them stereotypical is because I wanted to deliver the message that you don't need to be unique just to be a hero.**

**Styx, that was deep.**

**Also thanks. I'll try to improve my grammar, keep those reviews coming! And sorry if the story goes fast paced. I'm not good with elongating things other than Author's Notes and rubber bands. Byeeeee**


	3. Chapter 3

Riley's POV

Maybe it's just me, but this camp is some scary stuff. Like, seriously, I am NOT going near that climbing wall. Like, ever.

Maybe I was hallucinating, since I wasn't recovered from the ride straight out of My Little Pony. I can't believe I actually got excited about this. Maybe I'm more insane than I thought. My head felt light and I couldn't stand up straight. If it's some mandatory thing, I won't get a day into this camp.

I think I even suffered from a bit of memory loss, because the last thing I remember before riding the pegasi was seeing Tabitha look far more sensitive than ever. I never would've thought Tabitha of all people would be doing stuff like this.

I think I saw this guy riding a horse. My vision wasn't clear or anything. He looked like he merged with the horse he was riding. I personally hope that was real, because centaurs aren't bad, according to Harry Potter, at least.

I remember hands grabbing me to hold me up. Even so, I tried to focus on the stuff around me. And of course, of all the things I could see, it would be the wall of red hot liquid oozing down like a waterfall. It actually looked gross, and made me feel more queasy than before, but at least I could see something.

Someone made me drink from a water jug. But what I tasted definitely wasn't water. It tasted exactly like warm milk. Or maybe I was crazy. I couldn't really tell at the time.

Whatever they made me drink, it definitely made me feel a whole lot better. For one, well, I could actually see clearly. The people around me became more defined. They were all wearing this orange shirt that said "Camp Half-Blood", and then there was one of those awful monstrosities that have no sympathy for my digestive system whatsoever. If it's mandatory to learn how to ride them, I would die.

Did I already say that? Maybe.

Corliss held me steady, but I said, "I'm fine, I'm fine."

A guy maybe 3 or 4 years older than me was holding the jug. "It's nectar," he said. "Helps you heal. But, um, just don't drink too much."

"Thanks," I said. I was hoping to sound confident, but I wasn't sure if I did. I wasn't exactly one to trust random boys, but hey, what choice did I have?

"I'm Raymond," he said. "Son of Apollo, the Greek god of music, poems, arts, and anything like that stuff."

Raymond had brown hair, was about half a head taller than me, but very scrawny. He had these

"Riley," I replied. "I've been told about this child of gods thing, but I'm sure this Apollo guy isn't the only Greek god, so maybe I'm not a child of Apollo? Besides, I think my amazing divine parent is a girl, because I have a dad waiting for me at home."

"Yeah, probably not. Come on, I'll tour you guys around. I'm pretty sure no one wants to tour people today. We're quite busy," he said. I obviously would've asked him for more details, but he didn't look like he would talk about it, so I did what I hate most - be kept in the dark.

Corliss and I followed him to the wide fields of grass. The country had this smell that would make me love it everytime I visit it. Even if I was born in the city, I would gladly move to the country.

Anyway, while we were walking, I saw many different campers, and they were doing all sorts of weird stuff. Like, one was riding that bird-horse, that vaguely resembled a thestral, just so you know, another was using a shiny sword, and then there were some goat-men, like Narnian fauns, playing some instrument, while a few plants looked like they were dancing to the beat. It wasn't really the weirdest thing I've seen today, so I honestly didn't care.

Raymond pointed to a bunch of multi-colored huts that all looked... weird, I guess, in their own way. They were arranged in some pattern. If that pattern had a significance, I really couldn't tell, but I'm guessing it does.

There were these two huge ones in the center, one a little bit bigger. I didn't have too much knowledge on mythology, which surprises me, because I read a lot of books. Seriously though, just lately I've been more into romance. But judging from its size in comparison to those other ones, those two were above the others. Some sort of discrimination, I guess. My mind could go wandering about those two.

Raymond pointed at them, snapping his fingers so I was pulled out of my daze. "Those two are honorary cabins, for the king and queen of the gods, Zeus and Hera, Cabin 1 and Cabin 2. Hera has no demigod kids, because she's loyal to Zeus, so the place is empty. I wish I could say the same for Zeus," he paused, as if waiting for it to sink in a bit. "Well, actually, we've only had three demigod children of Zeus in this camp lately. But one's joined Artemis' band of maiden hunters, and the other's in the other camp, with his wife and son. So basically, only one girl stays in Cabin 1. Must be lonely."

A girl was walking towards us. At first I couldn't tell, because of her hoodie. She had white headphones around her neck, but she didn't strike me as "emo," maybe because of the fact her face looked like she was challenging me.

She removed her hoodie, revealing black hair and striking blue eyes. "New campers? The gods have been busy," she said, her face revealing her unamused face.

I admit, she made my blood boil. However, I kept my cool. Which, for the record, I hate as much as riding flying ponies.

Raymond smiled. "Maybe. Guys, this is Marley, the daughter of Zeus I mentioned," he said. "Marley, meet Corliss and Riley."

Marley pursed her lips, and I could see her hand drifting to her headphones, as if she would just run and ditch us. Unfortunately, she didn't. "Which is which?"

"Corliss is the tiny one," Raymond said, and Corliss kicked his shin, causing him to jump back, cursing. Corliss really packed a punch.

"Cool," Marley said, and she turned around and left.

The instant I knew she couldn't hear me, I said, "She is so weird."

Raymond sighed, rubbing his shin from Corliss's attack. "She's always like that. You should see her in Capture the Flag. Every week, she has this brand new strategy. I can't say all of them succeeded. Eventually, if you get in her, um-"

"Inner circle of friends?" I cut in.

Raymond scratched the back of his head. "Girl friendships are so complex. But yes. She is awesome, at least that's what her friends say."

"I can't believe she even has an inner circle of friends," Corliss said, raising an eyebrow at the direction where Marley left.

Raymond shrugged. "There are a few. Anyway, let's continue the tour."

- (skipping the tour for the most part since CHB is a complicated place and I'd be judged for missing places and the whole thing being boring, so all you need to know is Corliss stopped paying attention after the cabins)

"This is the Big House," Raymond said.

"Nice name," I muttered.

When we walked in, a guy in a leopard pattern shirt and shorts was sitting on a chair, his face clearly bored. I think I've had enough of bored looking people, I thought.

He and I locked eyes for a second too long. He stood up, and smiled, unlike Marley. Ugh, she makes my temper snap!

"Riley. Hello. Care for some Diet Coke?" He asked.

How does he know me? I wondered.

Raymond flinched. "Mr. D? Oh, um, Guys, this is Dionysius, god of wine. He's the dad of a camper here."

"Campers," Dionysius corrected. He seemed a bit annoyed.

"Oh, um, yes, I think," Raymond stuttered. He's clearly intimidated.

Dionysius raised an eyebrow. "You think? Riley here is my daughter."

That was nonsense. I had a dad. The godly parent was supposed to be my mom!

The guy, seemingly reading my mind, said, "Questioning it? You're adopted. You're so-called mortal father lied about you looking like your mother. No, you didn't. You got my good looks, black hair, and majestic purple eyes."

"This guy should be the god of bluntness and vanity," Corliss muttered.

He may have heard her, but he didn't seem to care. "Ralph! Take the other girl out of here."

"Raymond," he quickly corrected, before grabbing Corliss by the shirt and dragging her off.

I really wished they stayed. It's a lot to swallow and I was just hoping for some company to comfort me. Oh well, it's just me, then.

When I was touring the cabins, I really thought it was fine to be in the Aphrodite cabin. Cabin 12, Dionysius, looked quite bland. I wanted something more fancy, yet still with nature. Cabin 12 only fulfilled one of the two, and it wasn't enough.

Still, this guy was my dad, and I figured I should deal with it. Raymond told me a story about a tomboyish daughter of Aphrodite who hated her parentage, but still used it to her advantage.

I must've been thinking longer than I thought, because Dionysius said, "Hey, be happy. You're the perfect party host. There won't be any other kind of party like yours!"

I just smiled. "Thanks... Dad. I'm just confused and all. Can it all just sink in?"

I turned around and left the Big House, closing the door behind me, not bothering to see whatever reaction he may have. Not bothering to show him my tears.

So... Sorry for the long hiatus... Yeah, I had exams and the holidays and my birthday and the tears from watching the Hobbit... Yep. I'm also getting a 3DS later today :) and I'm hoping to work on another fanfiction as well, maybe not the Naruto one. Yeah, I can't upload on Christmas itself, since I'll be out of my country, so this is the best I can do. Adios!


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